As the country's population increasingly ages, a measure that would help improve the quality of life of frail senior citizens is the "Time Bank" scheme, which has been broadly adopted by several developed countries, according to the Department of Senior Services (DSS).
The scheme allows people to "deposit" time they spend on taking care of the elderly today and withdraw it at a future time when they themselves might need help in being cared for by others.
The time they spend caring for others is recorded as a score -- one point per hour. They can save points into their accounts. They are even able to transfer points to family members or the elderly in their communities who may be in immediate need of help.
The scheme has gained traction in several countries, including Switzerland, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan.
"This is one measure to ensure the elderly can remain physically and mentally fit," said Praiwan Polwan, director-general of the DSS, which comes under the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.
According to Ms Praiwan, the government has realised that a similar scheme can be applied to Thailand also as far as its social and cultural contexts are considered.
Thailand already has a strong culture of caregiving and countless volunteers ready to take care of others, she said, adding that this is consistent with the Time Bank concept.
"The DSS has adopted the Time Bank concept as a measure to help take care of the elderly, whose numbers are surging rapidly in Thailand," Ms Praiwan said.
According to the DSS, a Time Bank scheme has already begun in more than 42 areas across 28 provinces.
So far, a total of 1,379 people have been registered to volunteer their time under the programme, while 1,600 senior citizens have requested to be taken care of by the registered volunteers.
In Bangkok, the scheme can be seen in action at residential projects under the National Housing Authority (NHA) in Din Daeng and Yannawa districts.
According to Ms Praiwan, both areas have a significant number of older residents, which means they are home alone for lengthy periods of time when their children are at work.
"In this scenario, it would be good if we have Time Bank-registered volunteers who sacrifice their time for the benefit of society," Ms Praiwan said. "When they provide assistance to the elderly with open hearts, our society will become more liveable."
The DSS chief said the scheme is now open for volunteers aged 18 and over to apply. Moreover, the DSS is also in the process of raising awareness among the public about the project.
The registered volunteers can provide various kinds of help to senior citizens, such as reading, buying food, repairing home appliances, cleaning, or providing company during walks, she said.
"Most of the elderly are living alone as their children work. If someone visits and talks with them, it would ease their loneliness," Ms Praiwan said.
A 58-year-old resident of an NHA-run condominium in Din Daeng, who is half-paralysed, said the Time Bank scheme is a new concept.
Srisuda Charoenkit said it is important to create better understanding of the scheme among people so it can gain public acceptance and usher in a new trend of spending spare time to help others in society.
She said she lives alone and gets money from her older sisters and nieces who sometimes visit her.
"I'm not short of food. Every day, my next door neighbours ask what I would like to eat and they kindly buy it for me. Sometimes, they hang sweets or fruit on my door," Ms Srisuda said.
One of her neighbours is Boontueng Intarathat, a 61-year-old seamstress. She said she always asks what she can do to help Ms Srisuda.
Ms Srisuda sometimes needs help participating in activities held by the NHA or when she needs items bought from nearby areas, Ms Boontueng said.
Ms Boontueng said her children both have stable jobs and she has no worries in life.
When residents of the condominium have problems, she is always ready to provide assistance.
She said the Time Bank programme is a good concept, adding that there is a need to promote it.
She is also concerned about change in society where cheating has become more frequent. Some people have asked their elderly parents not to trust anyone, which has led to many senior citizens isolating themselves and avoid chatting with others, Ms Boontueng said.
Meanwhile, a National Institute of Development Administration poll found that most people (56.8%) believe the elderly are happiest when taken care of by their children or when they visit temples.